“Okay, so we’ve got the dirty agent. That’s the easy part. Tell me where Klimov comes into this.”
I don’t really want to know. What I’m about to hear is the hard stuff. But I need this.
“Tomlinson was supposed to be undercover in Klimov’s organization back in the day. The DCA file on him says he tried to go under and was able to escape when Klimov made him. How he swung that bullshit story is beyond me. Anyway, the truth is, he worked for Klimov. He fed him intel on us to keep Klimov out of our reach.
“Smith bought almost exclusively from Klimov before the DCA started snooping around. Tomlinson didn’t want the heat. He was already keeping us off Klimov, he didn’t want the added work of Smith. So he set him up to take a fall that didn’t work so well in the end.
“Klimov threatened Smith as part of the ruse. Tomlinson approached Smith, saying he could get Klimov to back off for the right price. Smith agreed to pay Tomlinson to get Klimov off Smith’s back. Klimov wanted Smith dead though. He didn’t want to deal with any loose ends and he saw Smith as one.
“Next thing Tomlinson and Klimov know, there’s a break in at a warehouse. And during that break in, a baby is stolen. Klimov’s baby,” Roman whispers.
“No,” I snarl.
“Smith got his insurance that he wouldn’t be taken out. Tomlinson got on Klimov’s bad side because his plan to push off Smith backfired. And Klimov got pissed the fuck off and sent a hitman to a house in Palo Alto.”
“This is fuckin’ crazy,” I point out, ripping my fingers across my scalp. It makes my wound ache, but I don’t care at this point.
“You know how that day in Palo Alto went. What you don’t know is that Smith proclaimed to still have Riley. Klimov believed that his daughter was safe from harm and would remain that way as long as Smith was untouched. That was the agreement. Klimov found out the truth though. Tomlinson heard there was an active agent with a kid and apparently that shit piqued his interest. He found out about you and Riley. He had her grabbed in Chicago to get her DNA before returning her to Smith where she was supposed to be.
“Klimov agreed that if Tomlinson got Riley back, he could be brought back into the fold where he’d been removed from since Palo Alto. Getting Riley from Smith was an easier task than taking her from a DCA agent a second time. Apparently, Smith believed the bad blood between him and Klimov would be gone as long as he returned Riley.”
“Thank fuck for Cara takin’ Smith out. Jesus, if she didn’t…” I trail off, unable to consider what might have happened.
“Don’t go there. Riley’s safe and unharmed. Keep your focus on that,” Roman says thoughtfully. “Klimov wanted DNA proof though. He didn’t trust Tomlinson. But by the time the results came through, you had Riley back and were off the grid. Our problem was, Tomlinson knew you had Riley. So all he had to do was find you. His time riding a desk at headquarters paid off in his hacking skills. That’s how he found you.”
“Why didn’t they just take Riley to Klimov after they blew the cabin?”
“Tomlinson, that narcissistic fuck, wanted to be the one to do it. He got stuck in Virginia by the blizzard, so he had his guys hold off,” Roman finishes.
I drop my face to my palms and breathe. I know who Riley’s biological father is now and he’s a demon. I don’t want her to know that. I don’t want her tainted by that. I don’t want her to pay the emotional price for crimes she has nothing to do with.
“Klimov was picked up this morning,” Roman announces proudly. “That fucker’s goin’ down right along with Tomlinson and about fifty other fuckwads.”
“Good,” I mutter into my hands before looking into his dark gaze.
“You’re her father. You, not Klimov. DNA doesn’t mean shit, Jake. Not a goddamned thing. She has a life full of love and promise because of you. She has a family who loves her and would do anything for her because of you. She’ll never know the evils of the world because of you. You may not have planted her in a womb, but you gave her life.”
I nod. He’s right. Who would’ve though Roman Knight would be the man to reassure me about fatherhood?
“She’ll wanna know someday. Riley will ask the questions I don’t wanna answer. Not now that I know that shit.”
“You lie,” he dictates. “She was adopted according to every piece of paperwork this government has ever seen. She doesn’t need the truth of how that adoption took place.”
I don’t know if I can do that to her. I don’t want to lie to her, but I really don’t want her to know the truth of her biological past. The good thing is, I don’t have to decide right now. I can talk this through with Cara and we’ll decide together. Because I’m not alone in this parenting thing anymore. I have a partner.
I reach out and grab Roman’s shoulder, squeezing it in thanks.
“Ivan’s gonna marry Riley. He told me on the flight here,” Roman says through a massive shit-eating grin.
“Tell him to come ask me in about thirty years,” I reply with a snort, shoving the shoulder I was holding. “What are your plans for Christmas?”
“We’ll just be at home in Virginia.” Roman’s gone completely stiff at that question.
“Why don’t you guys hang out here? Riley would love it and I’m sure Ivan would too.”
“I don’t think your family would be okay with that.”
“You took away every threat to my daughter in the last few days. I think my family will be just fine with you,” I assure him, standing up.
“I’ll talk to Ivan about it.”
He won’t. That was a lie. I understand why, but I hate it all the same. He’s carrying the guilt of hurting a woman for the DCA. I don’t know if Roman will ever let go of that burden. I hope he does.
“Can I leave Ivan here while I go visit Mitchell?” Roman asks as we step into the living area again.
My best friend pulled through. He’ll be in the hospital for a few more days, but he’ll be home for the holidays. I knew he would fight. I trusted that he would and when he woke up in the hospital, Riley was the first word he said. Then he tried to grab a nurse’s ass. I love that man.
“Sure. We’ve been goin’ in for dinner every evening. We could just bring Ivan along so you don’t have to drive back out here.”
“Thanks, Cooper.”
I tell Roman where he can find the kids and he leaves the room with a small wave.
“Everything okay?” Cara asks, leaning against my chest when I collapse on the couch next to her.
“It is now.”
Life is good.
I don’t know if life has ever been this good. Jake’s on the floor of his parents’ living room, being dog piled by the little Coopers along with Riley. The smile on his face is infectious. Truly. My cheeks hurt from holding my mouth in this position all day.
A family Christmas.
Everyone is here. There’s not a soul missing, and I feel content in a way I’ve never felt in my life because of it.
“Your face is gonna freeze like that,” Dane teases.
“I hope it does,” I respond through a sigh, leaning my head on his shoulder.
“Me too.”
Kat’s round form comes in the room and beams at her children. “We need to head down the street now.”
We’re going to my family’s house for Christmas dinner. Every person I’m related to is there along with family friends. I used to hate the holidays because of all the fuss. People everywhere, talking and asking questions, expecting me to behave in a certain way. That’s what I thought those days were. It took me a few years to understand that was all in my head. My family just wanted to be together, and I was included in that.
I love the loud craziness now. I look forward to it.
We bundle the kids up for the walk and before I can shrug into my coat, Jake snags me around the waist.
“We’ll be right behind you,” he shouts, receiving waves from the adults and nothing from the snow-distracted children. Mitch wiggles his eyebrows before Dane he
lps him saunter away. The man refuses to use a wheelchair. I love seeing that fight in him. He came back to us after risking his life to save Riley. He won’t let me thank him for that. Someday, I’ll find a way to repay him.
“I don’t think a quickie is a good idea,” I scold Jake as he feasts on my neck while shutting the door. It’s a weak argument that I wouldn’t mind losing.
“I wanna give you your Christmas present,” he mumbles against my skin.
“Sex is my present?”
He chuckles, sending goosebumps from head to toe before looking into my eyes.
“Sex with you is always Christmas for me, sweetheart. But I’m not talkin’ about sex. Come on.”
He tugs my hand and settles us on the floor in front of the stunning eight-foot-tall tree. He pulls out a golden wrapped box, sliding it into my hands.
“Jake, we said no presents. We have each other and Riley’s safe. That’s enough,” I try to admonish him, but he shakes his head.
“I want you to have this.”
He pushes it further into my grasp. The look in his eyes is a mixture of sad and happy. I don’t know what to make of it, so I just watch him a moment longer.
“If we don’t hurry, my brothers will think we’re havin’ that quickie and they’ll tell your brothers and they’ll come down here—”
I cut him off by ripping the paper. He smiles victoriously and then settles his gaze on my hands along with me.
I furrow my brow when I open the plain white box and find legal papers.
“What—”
“Read,” he interjects before I can ask.
I do what he says, getting two sentences in before tears begin to run down my cheeks. I don’t want to cry. I hate crying. But these tears don’t hurt, they feel revitalizing.
His calloused fingers swipe away my tears as I look into his soft brown eyes. There’s so much to say, so much I’m feeling, but words aren’t able to form in my mind. I want him to know that he’s just given me everything. That he never needs to get me a gift again because there will never be a greater one than this. How do you say that?
“Do you have a pen?” I sob before crashing against his chest.
He gathers me into his lap, shushing me as he kisses my hair.
“I love you, Cara Kelly. My life was a void of blackness before you came into it. I tried to hide in that dark place, but your light always kept me rising toward the surface. I will never leave you again. I will never hurt you again. I will always keep you safe. I will love you until the end of my days, because there is no Jake Cooper without Cara Kelly.”
“Stop…stop talk…stop talking,” I stutter.
Jake chuckles but does as I request.
People say love hurts. And they’re right. My chest feels like someone is performing open heart surgery right now. The pain of a love like this is that it works its way into the fabric of your soul and mends the pieces that have been broken. It tears away the damage and replaces it with comfort.
This hurt feels better than any pleasure I’ve experienced.
Once I get myself calmed down, I peer up into Jake’s gorgeous face through my wet lashes.
“I’m sorry I made you cry,” he apologizes, kissing the tip of my nose.
“I’m glad you did,” I beam.
Then I kiss him. I stroke his tongue with mine and pull him close by the back of his head. Jake’s arms constrict around me before lowering my back to the carpet, his body covering mine. I love the feel of his powerful frame over me. Something I was so afraid of now only makes me feel safe.
I wrap my legs around his waist and moan when he grinds against me. Our kiss becomes more passionate as Jake slants my head and plunges his tongue into my mouth, drinking me in while pouring his love into me.
His massive hand reaches beneath my shirt, cupping my breast as he tweaks my nipple through the lace of my bra. The rough fabric mixed with the plucking has an orgasm building almost instantly.
I rip my mouth from Jake’s to catch my breath as he devours my neck and thrusts against my clit. Just as I’m about to come, Jake jumps off me and is on his feet with his weapon drawn.
I quickly sit up, adjusting my shirt to find my brother, Aaron Kavanagh, smirking at us with his hands in the air.
“I was comin’ here to give you shit about touchin’ my little sister, but I think I’ll just let that slide,” Aaron says in his overly deep voice. “Though, if you’re gonna bang her, could you do it behind closed doors? I don’t need shit in my head that I can’t unsee.”
Jake shoves his gun in the back of his jeans and offers me his hand, pulling to my feet before swinging an arm around my shoulders.
“I think we’d have to be into some pretty fucked up shit to force you to see anything you haven’t done yourself,” Jake snarks.
“Dude, she’s my sister,” he replies with a gag. “I don’t wanna think about her doin’ anything other than sleeping and eating.”
“I make sure she gets plenty of rest and nourishment,” Jake prods my linebacker-sized brother.
Not many people have the balls to fuck with Aaron. He’s one of those guys who’s easy going and laughing all the time, but if you get on his bad side, he’s a scary motherfucker.
“I wish I didn’t like you so much, Jake,” Aaron says through a smile, his blue eyes twinkling at me. “Treat her good or that gun won’t help you when my brothers and I come for you.”
“He treats me like I deserve to be treated,” I state firmly.
“And how’s that?” my brother asks as Jake peers down to see where I’m going with this.
“He treats me like a woman who has a past that doesn’t define her, but made her into something more beautiful than she believed it could.”
“You can’t make me cry, Cara,” Aaron admonishes me, taking a deep emotion-filled breath.
Jake kisses my mouth firmly before muttering against my lips, “I love you.”
“Love you,” I respond with a squeeze of his waist.
“Okay, you two go back to your Christmas sex and I’ll keep the rest of the family at our place. But if you take too long, the dads will come lookin’,” Aaron warns.
Then he pulls Jake in for a rib-crushing hug before setting his sights on me.
“So fuckin’ happy for you,” he mutters into my hair.
“Can I tell him?” I ask Jake as my brother rights my feet on the ground.
“Tell me what?”
Jake nods for me to go ahead.
“Jake bought the house next door to the Cooper brothers for us. He gave me the papers to sign for Christmas,” I explain excitedly.
“Awesome—”
“I wasn’t done,” I cut my brother’s congratulations off. “I’m adopting Riley. Jake gave me those papers for Christmas too.”
Aaron Kavanagh being dumbstruck is an amazing sight. His jaw is slack and his soft blue eyes are shimmering with unshed tears. I watch as he takes a few breaths before blinking quickly.
“Didn’t Nick give you and your brothers to Kat for Christmas?” Aaron asks softly.
“Kind of a Cooper tradition,” Jake responds.
“It’s a pretty fuckin’ awesome tradition, man.”
“Yeah it is,” I agree, leaning against Jake’s chest.
“You two celebrate, but come down to the house soon. You need to share this shit with family.”
“We’ll be there soon,” Jake assures him.
We watch Aaron and his cocky swagger disappear out the front door. I stay in Jake’s arms in silence for a while, soaking in the moment where I become a mother and homeowner.
It feels like a lot of responsibility at twenty-three years old. And that feels outstanding. The pressures of real life are something I crave. It stabilizes me in a way I can’t describe. I feel whole at the idea of bills and bath time.
I’ve escaped the blackness of my past and I’m ready for the light of my future.
“Last box,” I huff, dropping it at the foot of our new bed.
<
br /> “Go talk to Sawyer and I’ll unpack this one,” Cara says, shooing me out of the room while Riley bounces on the mattress.
We’ve lived here for over a month now. Riley’s in a real school, kicking ass and taking names. Cara’s in her last semester of undergrad and was accepted into the graduate social work program at KU. I haven’t gone back on any ops yet, but I will.
I just need some time.
I brush my lips across Cara’s succulent mouth and kiss Riley’s dimpled cheek before thudding down the stairs and out the front door. Living next to my brothers is great. They’re close when I want them to be and a house away when I need some space. And I need space a lot since Mitch is living there and attempting to repopulate the planet now that he has a new lease on life.
The man hasn’t changed.
I open the front door and find Sawyer at the dining room table nursing a beer, a solemn look on his face.
The rest of the heathens are out for the night so it’s just me and my very sad brother in the house.
I pop the top off a bottle and settle myself in the chair across from him. I wait in silence for him to speak. I won’t drag anything out of him. If he just needs quiet company, I’m good with that.
“She hates me,” Sawyer starts.
“Who?”
“Mia.”
“So you’re finally ready to talk to me about your girl?”
Sawyer dives into the story, which ties my guts in knots. Two cases of beer wouldn’t have helped. My brother’s in pain, and I can’t do anything to help him other than sitting here and letting him pour his heart out.
When he’s done, we sit and look at each other. I tug my shirt over my head and turn to the side to show him the ink I had done a few days ago. I was going to show everyone when we were all together, but this seems like the moment Sawyer needs to see it.
Running up my ribs is an angel with two mended wings. They were injured once, but you can’t break something gilded in love. The thing holding together the wings is the same tattoo my brothers have with a slight modification.
There’s now an M coming off the tail of the J because Mitch is my brother too. Written in the wings are my mother’s words, barely visible, but they’re there. And the face of the angel is a mixture of Cara and Riley. She has dimples and green eyes.
Escaping the Blackness (A Cooper Brothers Novel Book 1) Page 30
